There are a variety of methods disclosed in the prior art for producing desirably colored live bait. Several methods are disclosed for breeding and raising bait such as worms and bait fish such that the resultant bait is colored. However, such methods do not allow a fisherman to color the more readily available non-colored bait as desired.
Accordingly, in recent years several methods have been introduced for coloring live bait. The two primary problems which must be addressed in the development of any such method are 1) providing a colorant which is not toxic to the bait, and 2) providing a colorant which does not readily rinse off the bait.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,728, 514 to Lechnir discloses a method of coloring live bait by immersing the live bait in a dye medium for 2-10 minutes. The dye medium contains water, salt equal to or less than that required for a saturated salt sol and an edible dye in not greater than four times the volume of the salt. The specific edible dye disclosed by Lechnir is a FD&C Red Dye No. 2 which is a mono-azo dye. Lechnir notes that, in the absence of salt, the dye employed is toxic to the live bait. The salt and dye employed by Lechnir comprise on the order of about 10% to about 20% by weight of the total coloring solution.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,858 to Mayer is directed to a composition for coloring bait which includes about 10% by weight of at least one biologically acceptable and palatable colorant; about 10% by weight of a mordant for binding the colorant to live bait; about 10% by weight of an acidulant; about 1% by weight of a surfactant; about 4% by weight of a suspending agent; and an aqueous carrier. Mayer discloses a variety of colorants which are selected from mono-azo dyes, triaryl-methane dyes and indigoid dyes.
There remains a need in the fishing art for a non-toxic composition and method for coloring live bait which may be readily employed by the fisherman as needed or which may be achieved overnight in anticipation of an upcoming fishing expedition.